Manori Ravindran was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Canada. She began her career as a freelance film critic and arts reporter for Canada’s national newspapers the Globe and Mail and National Post.

LONDON - Variety has hired Manori Ravindran as international editor. Based in London, she will oversee the entertainment news organization’s overseas team of correspondents and freelancers and guide coverage of all entertainment and media sectors across Europe and Asia.

Ravindran, who was most recently editor of Television Business International, will serve as a player-coach, assigning, writing and editing high-impact features, trend stories and business profiles for Variety’s weekly magazine and breaking news for Variety.com. She will expand Variety’s presence as a global editorial powerhouse, helping guide international industry events and conferences and identifying new business opportunities.

Ravindran will join Variety on Jan. 13.

“I can’t wait to start working with Manori and having her lead our amazing international team to new heights in the coming years,” said Claudia Eller, Variety editor-in-chief. “She brings with her a deep knowledge of the business, strong relationships and an impressive combination of smarts, enthusiasm and sophistication.”

Under Ravindran’s leadership, Variety plans to grow its international team of writers in key overseas markets. Presently, the publication has reporters in London, Paris, Beijing, Hong Kong and Rome.

“I’m so pleased to be joining Variety, and to work with Claudia Eller and her team, whom I’ve long admired,” says Ravindran. “As the streaming wars gear up and the film and TV industries increasingly look for growth overseas, I look forward to working with Variety’s top-notch international team in breaking news and providing in-depth analysis on the dynamic changes afoot, ensuring we are always at the forefront of global coverage.”

In her previous role as editor of TBI, Ravindran grew online readership by 30% within her first six months on the job by breaking news and re-establishing the brand globally. She launched industry roundtables, TBI’s One on One series with top executives and chaired events such as UK Screenings, NATPE, MIPCOM and the Edinburgh TV Festival. Prior to TBI, Ravindran was international editor of Broadcast. She was also a regular contributor to BBC Radio.

Her work has spanned coverage of the North American, European and Asian markets with a keen interest in digital disruption and the growth of streaming giants across Europe. Ravindran says her career has been driven by “a desire to change the industry in addition to reporting on it.” Her “Documentary Pays?” series on career sustainability in non-fiction for Realscreen magazine led to an industry-wide dialogue and action plan.

Ravindran was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Canada. She began her career as a freelance film critic and arts reporter for Canada’s national newspapers the Globe and Mail and National Post.